‘Really great neighbours’: What you need to know about city skunks and why you might be seeing more

A skunk is shown at the animal rehabilitation facility in Seaforth, N.S. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese)

It’s the time of year when skunks appear.

Dale Gienow, executive director of WildNorth animal rescue, said the phone lines have been lit up with calls about kits (baby skunks).

While the sight of a lonely-looking little one might cause concern, he encourages Edmontonians to slow down before scooping it up.

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Gienow said skunks are nocturnal and not often run into by their human neighbours. However, that changes this time of year.

“They are having babies, and skunks love to do that underneath our porches, underneath our sheds,” he said. “Unlike the parents, (kits) will sometimes be found playing around outside the den during the day, so we see them often by themselves, without a parent.

“Often, people assume they are abandoned, where mom is just sleeping the day away nearby underground.”

To avoid an accidental kit-napping, Gienow suggests holding off on any rescue attempts until dusk when mom is likely to come out.

“The babies at this age will often follow them, you’ll see that little family of skunks on their way as mom is teaching them how to forage and how to behave,” he said.

The sight of a skunk – or a whole family of skunks – in your yard might not be a welcome one, but Geinow said city skunks are accustomed to people and less likely to spray you than their country counterparts.

“They only have so much of that stinky fluid and they have to replenish it once they use it, so they don’t want to use it,” he said. “City skunks, you almost have to touch them before they spray you, generally speaking. And they leave you lots of warning.”

Skunk warning signs include foot stamping, tail raising, hissing, growling, or bearing teeth.

“If you’re still not smart enough to leave, they’ll actually start performing a handstand,” Gienow said. “If you see that happening, (it’s) a sure signal you should get out of there.”

Pets are more likely to have a negative run-in with a skunk or kit, so Gienow said dogs should be kept on leash when outside a designated off-leash area (which skunks avoid due to the busy nature and presence of predators).

It is legal in Alberta for home owners to hunt and trap skunks all year round. The City of Edmonton has information on how to relocate a skunk humanely, but cautions trapping can orphan young and negatively impact the animal.

If you wait, Gienow said, they will leave on their own.

“This is a very short lived time,” he said. “Once those babies mature, become teenagers in the fall, they’re going to be leaving that maternal den site along with Mom and moving on their way.”

“They’re actually really great neighbours,” he added. “They do our gardening for us, they love to eat our dandelions and other weeds. They eat wasps and mice and other creatures we might consider as pests.”

If you don’t want skunks coming back, you can remove food sources like open garbage or outdoor pet dishes, secure porches and decks with cloth (after ensuring no skunks are trapped) and clear out brush piles where skunks like to hide.

If you do come across an injured or orphaned animal, you can call the WildNorth helpline at 780-914-4118.

Outside of business hours, animals can be taken one of the following three 24-hour vet clinics:

• VCA Canada Guardian Veterinary Centre
• Pulse Veterinary Specialists and Emergency
• Boreal Veterinary Centre.

For more information, visit the WildNorth website.